Born Again Means What?

What Jesus said about salvation in John 3 is radical, much different from what most think today. This is a message to be delivered tomorrow in Elmore County about salvation that is theologically challenging and encouraging. I hope you will read it. NOTE: These are the notes I take into the pulpit, so please excuse some of the contractions and the like in this manuscript.

You Must Be Born Again! (Jn 3:2-8)

Today in our Bible Basics series we examine Salvation. My goal is to challenge & stretch your understanding from the Scripture. So I highly recommend you write down the passages because everything I say comes first from the Scripture… some of which might make us uncomfortable (Pause). John 3:2…

(Nicodemus) came to Jesus by night & said… “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is w/ him.” 3 Jesus answered… “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said… “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb & be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water (Natural birth, not baptism) &the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, & that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, & you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Knowing the Bible &/or having a place of religious significance (Nicodemus {John 3}, Deacon/Preacher) is not synonymous with being saved. Enjoying religious discussions (Sunday School, Herod with John The Baptist) or hearing Bible messages (Preaching, Agrippa with Paul) can be a hobby but not signal a saved condition. One more… knowing how to BE saved does not mean a person IS saved. Let me explain…

A church member in Oxford, AL asked me to visit her husband who was dying of cancer & not a believer. He said he knew I was there to “get him saved.” He told me he knew how to be saved. I asked him to explain because my experience is most either can’t or get it wrong. He said…

“You have to believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. You must confess your sin and repent asking God to forgive you.” I asked if he’d done that, to which he answered no. I asked if he’d like to given his short time left on earth. Again, he said no. I then asked if he understood what would happen if he died without Christ. His answer (W/ tears), “I’ll burn in hell forever. But you can’t just go thru the motions. You have to WANT to be saved and I don’t want to…”

Its possible to know all about salvation & not BE saved! Consider Ja 2:19, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” Satan & his demons know everything about Jesus… & how to be saved, but can’t BE saved!

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, & cast out demons in your name, & do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (BIG PAUSE)

So how are WE to understand salvation? Back to John 3. Jesus says: “You must be born again.” Spiritual birth is like physical birth… but how? Physical birth is the culmination of a nine month process. Spiritual birth is a process that also takes time. Then, none of us chooses to be born physically, when to be born physically, or where we are physically born. All physical birth events are beyond our control. Birth happened without any input from us. The same is true of being born again…

As physical birth began with our parents, spiritual birth is an event only GOD can initiate & bring to completion. Don’t miss that! Only GOD initiates & brings to completion our salvation! From John…

6:37 Allthat the Father gives mewill come to me…

6:44 No one can come to meunlessthe Father who sent me DRAWS HIM…

1:12 But to all who did receive (Jesus), who believed in his name, HE gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood (Parents or ethnic identity) nor of the will of the flesh (Other’s influence) nor of the will of man (Our own will), but of God.

We are what I call “passive participants” in salvation. Every element is outside our control YET we participate in it… the same way a baby is a “passive participant” in birth. Another way to u’stand passive participation in salvation is to reflect upon the resurrection of Lazarus from Jn 11. Think through this event with me…

Lazarus had been dead four days. He was DEAD. Now, what can a dead man do? He can’t hear… think… act… or make decisions… & this is everyone’s spiritual condition (Eph 2:1). For Lazarus to be resurrected Jesus had to make him live… & it’s the same w/ salvation (Eph 2:5). Thus the theological term “Regeneration” (To make alive). Lazarus was a “passive participant.” JESUS did all the work… but once alive, Lazarus could hear, think, sit up, & walk out. He participated in his resurrection!

When a person is “made alive” spiritually (Born again), THEN they respond… every single time, in a positive way that proves their salvation! Did you get that? The responses of those “born again” PROVE their salvation, THEIR ACTIONS DON’T BRING ABOUT SALVATION.

Salvation is 100% of God from beginning to end (Glorification). It is a mystery of God we cannot fully explain. And this is why Jesus said these words in Jn 3:6-8…

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, & that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, & you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Salvation is a miracle of God, the same as that of physical resurrection! Salvation is on par with the creation of the universe (2 Cor 4:6)… which is somewhat of a mystery to us of how God did it.

In Mt 11:25-27 Jesus described the mystery of salvation from HIS perspective by prayer…

I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven & earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise & u’standing & revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, & no one knows the Son except the Father, & no one knows the Father except the Son & anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Know this… if you are saved, it is because God saved you! You were spiritually dead… incapable of doing anything to be saved. But then God… by His great love & mercy… made you live. He regenerated your spirit so that you would… AND DID… respond. Jesus chose to reveal Himself to you & then you responded. Thus you were saved… you were BORN AGAIN… to God’s glory! (TRANSITION)

I was riding my bicycle with a friend when I was 10 when he asked, “If you died would you go to heaven or hell?” I couldn’t answer him… & the fear of God captured my heart. I raced home going in the back door in tears. My mom asked what was wrong & I told her I wanted to be saved. We went to my bedroom where she told me about Jesus & asked if I believed… to which I said yes. Then we knelt beside my bed and she prayed (I did not pray), but I knew I had been saved!

I remember immediately having a deep sense of peace & joy. I had an insatiable desire to read the Bible (“Good News For Modern Man”). I wanted to pray & go to church. I wanted to know more about God, Jesus, & The Holy Spirit. Always in my soul was a God hunger from that time to this day. And from that day I have sought, the best I could, to tell others about Jesus. (PAUSE)

That is my conversion. My testimony. It follows the pattern from Paul in Acts 26:4-11 (Prior to salvation); 26:12-18 (Conversion); 26:19-29 (Life after conversion). EVERY believer has a testimony of how GOD saved them! If you don’t……… But here’s the real question…

Have YOU been born again? YOU must believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved! Jesus said, “All that the Father gives me WILL come to me.” He also said, “Come unto me ALL ye who are weak and heavy laden and I WILL give you rest.”